SA’s air traffic management authorities are struggling to clamp down on flight delays, which have become commonplace since July. This follows the suspension of instrument flight procedures by Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS), which are essential for ensuring safe operation of aircraft.
The procedures are designed to account for terrain and obstacles, providing pilots with the necessary guidance to navigate safely in adverse weather conditions and during night-time operations.
Industry experts said more than 2,000 flights had experienced delays since July, with interruptions lasting between 30 minutes and two hours. This prompted transport minister Barbara Creecy to convene several meetings with the aviation body to address the issue.
According to Mphilo Dlamini from ATNS, the minister had a follow-up meeting with the aviation industry and ATNS, where an updated turnaround plan to address the flight delays at various airports in the country was presented.
“Five instrument flight procedures were approved by the SA Civil Aviation Authority [SACAA] since the plan was last presented two weeks ago, with another five submitted for approval. The approved instrument flight procedures are for OR Tambo International Airport and Polokwane International Airport,” Dlamini said.
“The submitted instrument flight procedures that are pending approvals from the SACAA belong to the airports that are constantly affected by inclement weather conditions such as Mthatha, King Phalo and Kimberley airports.”
Industry players told Business Day that ATNS had failed to ensure that instruments flight procedures were still complaint, a review that should occur every five years. In some cases, the review had been overlooked by up to 12 years.
The delays in flights come as the Airports Company SA (Acsa) announced multiple new airline routes and additional flights to several of its airports ahead of the busy holiday season.
The owner and operator of SA’s nine key airports said a new, reasonably priced route between London Gatwick and Cape Town International Airport was due to be launched by Norse Atlantic Airways in late October. The service is set to run three times a week on a seasonal basis.
In anticipation of the approaching summer season rush, which runs from November to March, Acsa said British Airways would increase the number of flights between Cape Town and Heathrow from November 1.
To give passengers more choice in travelling to SA, the airline would launch an additional daily flight in mid-January 2025, raising the carrier’s weekly number of flights operating out of London Heathrow to 21. The airline operates a daily route from Heathrow at present.
Between OR Tambo International Airport and London Heathrow Virgin Atlantic runs one daily route and British Airways operates two daily flights.
Air Botswana is set to begin service between Gaborone and Durban next Friday with a direct route to King Shaka International Airport.
FlySafair has this month begun its inaugural international service, connecting Cape Town with Hosea Kutako International Airport in Windhoek, Namibia. The flight on the new route will operate twice a week.
SAA is raising the frequency of its weekly flights from 10 to 12 between Johannesburg and Harare from November. /With Kabelo Khumalo
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